1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a soil-working machine comprising:
a chassis,
a rotor connected to said chassis, driven in rotation during work about a substantially horizontal axis directed transversely to a direction of forward travel of said machine,
at least one guard connected to said chassis by means of an articulation of pivot type, the axis of which is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotor, and
at least one adjustable retaining device which limits, downward only, the angular travel of said guard about said articulation.
2. Discussion of the Background
A soil-working machine such as this, produced in the form of a rotary cultivator, is known from document FR 2 420 293. This known machine comprises a guard connected, at one of its ends, to the chassis by means of hinges. By altering the angular position of the guard with respect to the chassis, the user can set the crumbling of the strip of soil worked by the rotor. To do this, this known machine also comprises a retaining device consisting of a chain. Said chain is connected, on one hand, to the chassis and, on another hand, to the guard. The angular position of the guard is dependent upon the length of said chain.
During transport, the rotary cultivator experiences accelerations, particularly vertical ones. With this type of machine, these accelerations often give rise to flapping of said guard. This flapping in turn gives rise to violent and repeated impacts on the chain and the hinges. This known machine admittedly has a damping device inserted between said chain and said guard, but this damping device is capable only of attenuating the impacts, and its cost of manufacture is relatively high.
The object of the present invention consists in overcoming this drawback of the state of the art by producing an inexpensive device that eliminates said flapping of the guard during transport.
To this end, the soil-working machine of the present invention is one which additionally comprises at least one locking device which limits, upward, during transport, the angular travel of said guard so as to keep the latter in the position defined by the setting of said retaining device. The flapping of said guard is thus eliminated. Said chain and said articulation therefore no longer experience impacts during transport.